Exploring Evora, Portugal

Posted October 13, 2019

An Early Start

The alarm went off at 6 am, and we caught the 6:45 early morning bus to Lagos, with our ultimate destination being Evora. It was the only bus leaving Salema that day that worked with our connection, so it was early or nothing.  From there we had to make two more connections before finally arriving in Evora.

In all we were traveling for 9 hours, with just a few minutes downtime between connections.  It was one long day. Our previous long bus ride a week ago sold sandwiches and freshly brewed espresso. Unfortunately, these buses had no food options, but luckily we had packed the Portuguese equivalent of strawberry Pop Tarts (but much thinner and crunchier).  Not our normal food fare, but sometimes you don’t have a choice.

We were heading north into the arid plains of the Alentejo region. So much of the terrain we passed through looked just like the golden California foothills.

Storks!

As the bus made its way, I was thrilled to recognize something I’d only ever seen in Morocco just last year, storks nests. The nests are always at the highest point to be found, like a high column or chimney.  Storks build their massive nests out of sticks. It’s really quite amazing to see and never gets old. 

• 

• 

Capela dos Ossos

Once in Evora, we made a point to visit Capela dos Ossos, or The Chapel of Bones. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel entering a chapel where all the walls are covered in real human bones, but I must say it was very impressive, if not a bit jaw dropping (excuse the pun).  I’ve been to countless breathtaking churches throughout Europe, but this is one I’ll never forget. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The history and message of the chapel are profound and powerful.  The chapel was the idea of three Franciscan friars. Their goal was to convey the message of temporariness and fragility of human life. This message “We bones that are here, for yours we wait” is prominently etched on the arch above the chapel entrance for all to see.

The Chapel was built in the late 1500’s with thousands of bones of monks and others excavated from area cemeteries. It was fascinating to carefully study the walls, pillars, ceiling trim, and doorways – all covered with bones in unique ways to form patterns and adorn the chapel.  

There was even a complete pelvis bone with a skull positioned inside atop the exit doors on either side of the altar.  Creative, and yet kind of creepy.  

Cemiterio do Mindelo

Speaking of cemeteries, when we walked into town from the bus station to our hotel, I saw a huge, ancient looking cemetery.  I made a mental note to go back, if we had time. I love walking through old cemeteries, reading the birth and death years, and reflecting on the people’s lives from long ago. 

On our last afternoon we did visit the cemetery and saw rows and rows of family tombs, mainly made of white marble, many from the 1500’s.  I’ve never seen so many tombs all lined up on both sides of the pathways, like residential neighborhoods of the deceased.

I’m sure the tombs must be a measure of the wealth and power of a family.  It looked to me like each tomb was bigger and more ornate than the next. An end-of life version of keeping up with the Joneses.   

Meandering in Evora

• 

• 

• 

Moving on to less morbid aspects of Evora, we followed the Rick Steves (travel writer) walk as outlined in his book on Portugal.  Evora is the perfect size town for walking. It’s nice and compact. We started at the central square, Praça do Giraldo, about a two minute walk from our hotel.

• 

• 

• 

We meandered through the hilly cobblestone streets, visiting the ancient Roman Temple of Evora (also called the Temple of Diana), the Cathedral of Evora, City Hall, and a lovely park with the year 1886 spelled out in the black and white tiles at the entry gate.  I was especially surprised to see baby peacocks at the park, running around 4-5 adult peacocks.

• 

• 

• 

The Yellow-Heads

A group of young students, all wearing turquoise shirts and yellow caps, made their way past us with their teacher leading the way, heading for parts unknown. So cute.  Steve was also wearing turquoise, but no yellow cap. I guess he only got part of the memo. 

Google Translate Gone Wrong

We ate lunch in a very small eatery that barely had room for two small tables, way up the road from the central square, away from most tourists. 

There was a handwritten white board menu out front.  I quickly used google translate to check a few of the offerings, and was horrified when one came up as a dog sandwich.  What the heck? With a little more research I figured out the menu item was a hot dog, thank goodness.

There were only locals in the joint, and when we tried to order the proprietor gave me a deer in the headlights look, turned away, and promptly went to the back to fetch his wife, who could manage some English. We ended up ordering baguette sandwiches, but didn’t dare order the hot dog – just in case.

The Orange Sunset

On our last evening in Evora we caught a spectacular sunset. It was by sheer luck that we saw it because of a timing error on our part.  The restaurant we walked to for dinner, down a side street off the main square, didn’t open for 10 minutes, so we headed back up the hill to kill some time. We plopped down on the large marble slabs that surround the broad, round fountain. It was then that Steve noticed an intense, orange sunset developing just behind me.  Wow, no filter or enhancement needed (or applied) to these sunset photos. So glad we didn’t miss it!

Wins and Losses

Wins

Met a lovely couple from Lexington, Kentucky, one day at lunch. Thanks Ann & Kevin for being liberals from the south.  I really appreciate you and enjoyed our chat!

We loved the Ale House Guesthouse in Evora. It had a large, well-equipped, shared kitchen, a bathroom we could maneuver in, and a great location.  

Losses 

I offered to help a middle-aged couple at a neighboring table translate the menu which was in cursive in Portuguese. The waiter had just explained it to us, but only gave them a cursory explanation. 

Things got really awkward right away. I had heard them speaking in English, so thought my input would be welcome. I approached them and asked if they’d like some help with the menu, and the man replied with an extremely tentative and drawn out, “maaaaybeeee?”.  Bad start.

I quickly showed them what I knew, then retreated to my table. Not long after, we overheard them fluently conversing with the waiter. As Scoobie Doo would say, “Ruh-Roh”.